Federal murder investigation to be opened in Capitol Police officer's death
Prosecutors in the US Attorney's office plan to open a federal murder investigation into the death of Brian D. Sicknick, a US Capitol Police officer who died Thursday night, a law enforcement official tells CNN.
Sicknick was injured Wednesday when a mob of President Donald Trump's supporters stormed the US Capitol. He died "due to injuries sustained while on-duty," Capitol Police officials said in a statement.
The death is being investigated by the DC Metropolitan Police Department's homicide branch, the US Capitol Police and their federal partners.
"Officer Sicknick was responding to the riots on Wednesday, January 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol and was injured while physically engaging with protesters. He returned to his division office and collapsed. He was taken to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries," the statement read.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ordered the flags at the Capitol Building to be lowered to half-staff in honor of Sicknick.
Sicknick is the fifth person to die as a result of Wednesday's insurrection. One woman was shot and killed by Capitol Police as the crowd breached the building and three others suffered medical emergencies that proved fatal, the source said.